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Julie Halls

Inventions That Didn't Change the World Hardcover – Illustrated, December 9, 2014

by Julie Halls (Author)

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A captivating, humorous, and downright perplexing selection of nineteenth-century inventions as revealed through remarkable–and hitherto unseen–illustrations from the British National Archive

Inventions that Didn’t Change the World is a fascinating visual tour through some of the most bizarre inventions registered with the British authorities in the nineteenth century. In an era when Britain was the workshop of the world, design protection (nowadays patenting) was all the rage, and the apparently lenient approval process meant that all manner of bizarre curiosities were painstakingly recorded, in beautiful color illustrations and well-penned explanatory text, alongside the genuinely great inventions of the period. Irreverent commentary contextualizes each submission as well as taking a humorous view on how each has stood the test of time.

This book introduces such gems as a ventilating top hat; an artificial leech; a design for an aerial machine adapted for the arctic regions; an anti-explosive alarm whistle; a tennis racket with ball-picker; and a currant-cleaning machine. Here is everything the end user could possibly require for a problem he never knew he had.

Organized by area of application―industry, clothing, transportation, medical, health and safety, the home, and leisure―Inventions that Didn’t Change the World reveals the concerns of a bygone era giddy with the possibilities of a newly industrialized world. 200 color illustrations

Print length

224 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Thames & Hudson
Publication date

December 9, 2014
Dimensions

7 x 1.2 x 9.8 inches
ISBN-10

0500517622
ISBN-13

978-0500517628
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Julie Halls] does a lovely job investigating the social and cultural back stories that led to the design of an Improved Pickle Fork and a Bona Fide Ventilating Hat, to name just a few, revealing the Victorians to be not just ingenious but wildly insecure about their social status, their bodies and their safety."
― The New York Times

"Many of the contraptions may seem silly today, such as a current-cleaning machine or a 'portable smelting apparatus' that would allow you to meld metal on the run. Still, notes Ms. Halls, the devices vividly illustrate the era's rising consumer demand and fascination with innovation and practical science."
― The Wall Street Journal

"A gorgeous compendium of crackpot ideas, reminding us that design is a Darwinian struggle―only the fittest inventions survive."
― Fast Co.Design

"Shows us that we were always obsessed with technological innovations that promised to make our lives better."
― Fast Co.Create

"While no single gadget in [this] books changed life as we know it, collectively they shaped an outlook on innovation that exists even today."
― Smithsonian.com

"Looks at the forgotten side of the Victorian age of invention―not the steam engine or the light bulb but the Improved Sausage Machine, the Epanalepsian Advertizing Vehicle, and the Moustache Protector. . . . And everywhere, there’s the firm belief in social progress through technological innovation."
― Quartz

"A remarkable collection of design drawings for inventions long forgotten."
― The Miami Herald

"Covering everything from home and garden to sport and safety, these misfit inventions tell as story that grew curiouser and curiouser. This is the perfect book for your quirky uncle who spends too much time tinkering in the basement."
― The Washington Post

"Whether or not all the inventions stood the test of time doesn't matter so much; the culture of amateur inventing as a whole can be credited for creating an environment that encouraged tinkering, discovery, and therefore progress."
― Wired.com

"More than just a fun and beautifully printed collection of odd and curious patents. The author’s knowledgeable commentary gives an interesting cultural account of the demands for, and uses of, these Victorian-era gadgets. . . . Highly recommended."
― Choice

"Sometimes an idea isn't as wonderful or useful as its inventor thinks. Halls takes you on an illustrated tour of some of the most unique and unusual inventions registered in Britain in the 19th century."
― New York Public Library

About the Author

?Julie Halls works at The National Archives, London, and is a specialist in 19th-century registered designs. ?

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thames & Hudson; Illustrated edition (December 9, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0500517622
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0500517628
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.87 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 1.2 x 9.8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,387,524 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #294 in Mobile & Wireless Telecommunications
- #5,398 in Technology (Books)
- #5,890 in Design & Decorative Arts

Customer Reviews:
28 ratings

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5 star		67%
4 star		10%
3 star		18%
2 star		6%
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Top reviews from the United States

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Adán Salgado

Good book "Inventions that didn't change the world"

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 21, 2015

Verified Purchase

Inventions that didn't change the world was a curious and good reading. You can see all the past attempts of technologies that never were. Some of them could be interesting is developed but others were just silly, useless (according to our current expectations, of course), a waste of time and money if they ever had been materialized. Also it was interesting to see how the advancements of science at those times (19th century) were conceived. I would say that the difficult in many of the proposed inventions could be precisely because the "inventors" of many of them didn't still have the technical requirements to fulfill them, both, in the design but also in the way that design would work (the lack of motored movement), for example. Another thing that I liked about the book is that is a good and esthetic design, hardcover with golden embroidered letters, something that is very rare with most books these days. So for everyone interested in past technology, inventions that never were, this is a highly recommended book. Thanks

One person found this helpful

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Laura Blakemoore

He seemed to like it, at least I have seen him reading ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 6, 2015

Verified Purchase

Bought as a gift for an engineer grad student. He seemed to like it, at least I have seen him reading it, which is better than most things I get people that never get used.

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Ken Stevens

Very well framed discussion and presentation. I'm a serious ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 2, 2015

Verified Purchase

Very well framed discussion and presentation. I'm a serious inventor and teach product design and entrepreneurship. The author's point of view is rarely heard and very well pursued by her.
Amost enjoyable read - cover to cover.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 30, 2015

Verified Purchase

Lots of detail but not presented in an interesting fashion

One person found this helpful

Helpful

77Shell

Very thought-provoking

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 25, 2015

Verified Purchase

Very intersting book--especially for someone like me with a background in both science and psychology. A good 'read.'

Helpful

reader54

Very dull unless you are into blueprints

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 27, 2014

Verified Purchase

Very dull unless you are into blueprints. No interesting stories which is more what i was looking for. Exceptionally dense.

5 people found this helpful

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Shannon McDowell

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 14, 2015

Verified Purchase

Very good book and sits on a coffee table for all to enjoy

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 8, 2015

Verified Purchase

Very good.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Sean Raffey

Oh look, that looks like a rather pleasant book....

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 12, 2017

Verified Purchase

Disappointing, fascinating read let down by poor illustrations, and the selection of inventions are .... ummm... tardy at best, still a pleasant enough read, looks good on the bookshelf as well, just in case anyone ever comes round, am pretty sure they will glance at this books spine and think, ahaha, an inquisitive mind, and such a nice shade of green.... Not sure what else I can say, yep, it's ok....

David Whelan

Xmas Winner

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 29, 2020

Verified Purchase

Extremely well written with excellent details of inventions that never quite made the headlines; an excellent Christmas or birthday present.

Mat McCall

Very interesting though a little lite on information

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 27, 2020

Verified Purchase

Some truly bizarre stuff in here and several that did make it into common use and a few that made it into modern use. But could do with more explanations of the illustrations.

Owain Rhodri Young

Good Book but ....

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 16, 2014

Verified Purchase

Book full of drawings and specs of weird and wonderful Victorian inventions. With my eyesight have some problems with reading specs, which are in original handwriting - would have been helpful to have typewritten transcript.

2 people found this helpful

Frankie0694

Interesting and funny!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 27, 2015

Verified Purchase

Really interesting and pretty funny book! So good to look through at some of the inventions we came up with.. And some of them may actually be pretty good in this day and age!

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